MT Magazine May/June 2026

30

LAMARKABLES

THE STATE OF AUTOMATION ISSUE

Coming Off the Heels of SHOT Show 2026 BY STEPHEN LAMARCA SENIOR TECHNOLOGY ANALYST

Despite what you may have heard, Einstein never said, “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.” If you think about it, that’s just silly. No person of science

flow-through suppressor concept to market. So, seeing Atlix in the big B&T booth is a huge deal – a large and very popular company in the small arms industry uses Atlix machines to make their suppressors in-house (it doesn’t contract manufacture) – though it’s not a surprise. The baffleless nature and complex internal geometries (flow channels) that define modern flow-through cans are particularly well suited to metal additive manufacturing. This helped prove to be an early, viable production use case for the technology – something I wrote about after attending my first SHOT Show in 2023. Seeing a machine tool on display in such a prominent booth is a step closer to AMT members and IMTS exhibitors becoming highlights at the SHOT Show – which, in turn, is a step closer to a more widespread and enthusiastic awareness of the manufacturing industry – which, in turn, means more success for our industry – which, in turn, means more success for you, good reader. Keep asking, and never say never! Addressing the Elephant The defense sector deserves a quick mention here because it has historically been one of the most important proving grounds for manufacturing technology. Many innovations that become mainstream industrial tools start with demanding defense applications, and suppressors are a good example. What’s more, defense-related technologies that fall under frameworks such as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations or the Berry Amendment benefit U.S. manufacturing. Even outside the military, U.S. firearm laws and import rules for the civilian market (such as the “sporting purposes” test and 922(r) parts restrictions) often push domestic production. In practice, that means that much of the capability – both the design and machinery – to make these products ends up living here in the United States as well. In that sense, discussions about reshoring and domestic manufacturing are not just political talking points but practical ones. Maybe it’s a small thing: one additive machine sitting in a firearm manufacturer’s booth. But small signals matter. If machine tools are starting to appear on the SHOT Show floor, even occasionally, it suggests the manufacturing side of this industry is becoming harder to ignore, and that’s excellent news for everyone who builds the technology behind it. If you have any questions about this article, please contact Stephen at slamarca@AMTonline.org. For more LaMarkable content, stream “Road Trippin’ with Steve” now at IMTS.com/RTWS.

would ever say something so erroneous – never mind someone as well regarded as ol’ Albert! Repeating an experiment over and over (with peer review, of course) is how one goes from hypothesis to thesis to theory to law. If the results ever show even a hint of deviation, it can never become law. So, what does that have to do with my time at this past January’s Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show? As your duly assigned SHOT Show attendee and representative of AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, I made a point of stopping by the booths of current, new, former, or potential members – companies that build or distribute manufacturing technology and are considered manufacturing companies first and foremost. I introduced myself – if I didn’t already know them – and had a small chat, mentioning to a handful how cool it would be to see a manufacturing company featured on the main floor of the show someday. They all told me that the National Shooting Sports Foundation (the organization that runs SHOT) says it would never happen. I hear this every year at the show when I make my rounds, but I still like to ask. Test and test again, right? Well, this year was a little different. Just a smidge. Not So Silent Each time I attend SHOT, I experience some sensory overload. If something catches my attention, it’s usually because it gives me a sweet, sweet dopamine shot of manufacturing technology, motorsport, or horology. I got just that while perusing the B&T (Brugger & Thomet) booth, a Swiss firearms manufacturer. A machine of theirs caught my eye: an Atlix 3D printer. Atlix officially debuted at Formnext last year. It was spun out of Trumpf’s additive manufacturing division and rebranded as an independent company rather than just a renamed product line. Trumpf will continue to focus on its core machine tool and laser businesses, while Atlix continues to develop the metal AM systems previously sold under the TruPrint line. To say B&T knows the suppressor (silencer) game is something of an understatement. B&T is renowned for its suppressors, submachine guns, and integrally suppressed weapon systems; it was one of the first companies to bring the